Apparatus for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.



B. L. K'EYBS; K APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

11.10.4110: run) In 6, 1911. I

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

l/WT/VESIES. Y

I ing the shoe from contact with parts onrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE cnrnEsY COMPANY, masnY.

L. KEYTES, OF BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TQUNITED SHOE MA- OF PATTERSON. NEW

JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW APPARATUS FOR- USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

masses. 7

Application filed May 6, 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 625.464.

Tor /1 1 2 101 1'1. mrlg/ comm-n.

tile it known that l, lrlt'ontuq L. Kiivns. a citizen o t the United States. residing at lieston, in the county ot' Sutt'olk and State of Massachusetts. have invented certain I1n provemeuts in Apparatus for l se int-he. Mauutzu'ture of Root and Sllfi. of which the following description. in connection with the m-com1muyiug drawings. is a specification. like reference character on the drawings indicating like parts in the .-everal figures.

This invention relates to apparatus tor usein the manufacture of boots and shoes.

Much dilliculty is experienced. particularlv in mauuta turing shoes having high toes. with the cracking cl the leather around the toe portion of the shoe. due apparently to the excessive strains placed upon the leather at this part of the shoe in the pull ing-ovcr am lasting operations. Experiments have dcmonstrattal that these operations may be greatly facilitated and the percentage of damaged toes or tips may be greatly reduced by first subjecting the toe portion of the shoe to the action of heat and moisture and then performing the pullingover or lasting operations, or both, while the stock is still hot and moist.

The present invention provides an apparatus which is adapted particularly for treating the toes ot shocs'iu the manner just described, which has provision for protect-. that might soil or injure it; which is designed to handle a great variety of styles and sizes of shoes; and which can be economically manufactured.

' The invention will be clearly understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof an the novel features will be oiuted out in the, appended claims. The figure of the drawing shows an aparatus embodying the invention.

The apparatus comprises a tank 2- substantially rectangular in form which may he supported in any suitable manner as by a pedestal 4. A perforated pipe (3 runs along the bottom of the tank and preferably projects through both end walls of the tank so that either end may be connected through a valve 8 and suitable coupling with a source of steam supply. The other end of the pipe should be capped or plugged. The bottom of the tank is filled with water, when the device is in usefto a point determined by the positiou'ot the upper end/of a drip pipe 10 which projects through the bottom of the tank and serves to -arry awav anv surplus water. The pipes (i and 10 iuawbe cured in the'tank in any convenient or usual manner, but I prefer to cast the tank with the pipes t) and 10'all in one piece. since this construction greatly reduces the cost of manufacture. A drain cock 1?. is threaded into the bottom of the tank to enable the workman to draw oil the water conveniently.

ln one of the vertical walls of the tank.

two apertures 14 are formed of suitable lZC and shape to receive the toe end of a shoe. In order-to support the shoe with its toe in the tank I provide in trout of each apertu a rest 16 that preferably consists of a piec of, wire donbled backwardly upon itself to form two substantially parallel arms which are then bent at substantially a right angle while still maintaining them parallel. Each rest. is secured to a boss 18 that projcts laterally from the front of the tank: by means of a washer and a bolt ZOc tending between the arms of the rest near' 'itsiloopcd end and serving to clamp the washer against the arms. Near their free ends the arms are bent toward each other and then away from each other again. A shoe may be supporte in one of these rests either in inverted position, as shown at the left of the figure. in which position the curved ends of the rests rip the counter of the shoe on opposite sides, or it may be supported in an uprightosition. as indicated in dotted lines at the right of the figure. It is obvious that the rests will support any of the usual styles or sizes of shoes.

In order to prevent the shoe from coming in contact with the metal parts of the device and as a further aid in positioning the shoe. :1 board 29. of fiber, wood, or other suitable heat insulating material is clamped between the front of the tank and the vertical portions ot the rests 16. This board has semi-circular notches cut in its upper edge in front of the openings 14 but the dimensions of the notches are smaller than the dimensions of the openings 14 so that the sides of the notches prevent. movement of the shoe into contact with the edges of the openings 14. As a further means for preenting contact of the shoe with the end walls of the tank are slotted as indi cated at Qt to receive a board 2 of fiber, wood or similar material and hold it in) such position that it will be struck by the too of the shoe it. the latter is moved into the box too far. These protecting devices are especially desirable in treating shoes of tan or patent leathers which become soiled easily by contact with the metal parts of the device or may be injured by contact with parts that are too highly heated.

Assuming that the apparatus has been connected to a steam supply, the workman first opens the valve 8 allowing'the steam to pass into the water in the tank through the perforations of the pipe 6. After the Water ii to tank is heated up to the required temperature (which for some stocks is the boiling point, out for others may be lower) the workman 1 11) regulates the valve 8 that a small quantity of steam. or more correctly, hot vapor. is

constantly circulating within the tank. The worluuan then lasts the sides and heel of a pulled over shoe, loosens the tacks driven in by the pulling over machine and places this shoe in one of the rests 1G with its toe in the tank 2. He then repeats this opera tion with a second shoe. By the time he has a third shoe ready to place in the tank the toe of the first shoe has become sutliciently soft to last properly. He therefore replaces this shoe with the third shoe lasted l and proceeds to last the toe of the first shoe l while it is still hot and moist. He repeats this operation keeping two shoes in the tank l practically all the time. The hot vapors penetrate the leather, lining, and toe stifi' I ener and put these materials in such condition that the toe lasts very easily. It has l been demonstrated that not only is time saved in lasting this part of the shoe, but that the percentage of damaged toes is firilllY reduced. This reduction is particle larly inarked in the case of shoes having high toes. l The water in the tank serves to spread the steam and to cool it oil' to a tenniierature l that is found to be suited to most grades of work. Different leathers work best at l slightly dii'lerent; temperatures. but the de- Lu'ee of heat and moisture can be regulated I satist'actorilv with the arrangement shown. Sin 'o most shoe factories are equipped with l steam it usually is more satisfactorv to sup plv the required vapor to the interior of ih c tank by connecting it with the steam supulv thaii by generating steam directly within the tank. as for instance by means of I a gas flame. Any convenient isiethod of producing the circulation of the FtGfUTl or vapor in the tank conditions found in any I particular factory.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An apparatus of the character described omprising a metal tank having one or more apertures for the reception of the toe of a shoe, means for supporting a shoe with its toe in the tank, means for causing hot va pors to circulate around the toe of the shoe, and meansfor protecting the shoe from contact With any of the metal parts of the tank.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a tank having one or more apertures for the reception of the toe of a shoe, means for supporting a shoe with its toe in the tank, means for causing hot vapors to circulate around the toe of the shoe, and means for protecting the toe of the shoe from contact with the inner wall of the tank.

An apparatus of the character described comprising, a tank having one or more apertures for the reception of the toe of a shoe, means for supporting a shoe in either an upright or an inverted position with its toe in the tank. and means for supplying hot vapors within the tank.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a tank having one or more apertures for the reception of the toe of a shoe, a steam inlet pipe extending along the bottom of the tank, a drip pipe having com munication with the interior of the tank at a point above the steam pipe. all of said parts being cast together, and shoe supporting means positioned adjacent to each aperture.

An apparatus of the charactendescribed comprising a tank having a plurality of apertures each constructed to receive the toe of a shoe. a steam inlet pipe extending along the bottom of the tank, a drip pipe having communication with the interior of the tank at a point above t e steam pipe, a shoe rest in front of each aperture constructed to support. a shoe in either an upright or an nverted position, means for protecting the shoe from contact with the edges of said apertures. and a protecting device constructed of heat insulating material positioned within the tank to protect the shoe from contact with the inner wall of the tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGEUE L. KEYES.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. MOCREADY, Jaancs R. Holman. 

